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Build Your Own Candidate

Do you ever wish you could customize your perfect presidential candidate? These five Drake University students did just that as they attempted to build their own candidate based on five separate issue areas — the economy, foreign policy, immigration, the environment, and social issues. Check out their concoctions and hear some of their thoughts on the issues!

Jared Turner

Junior; English and law, politics and society

Photo submitted by Jared Turner

Economy: Bernie Sanders

“Why are we treating corporations like the golden child?”

Foreign Policy: Bernie Sanders

Immigration: Hillary Clinton

Environment: Bernie Sanders

“I cannot side with anyone that doesn’t understand that we are in a climate crisis.”

Social Issues:Rand Paul and Hillary Clinton

“Rand recognizes that racial injustice is a major problem in our criminal justice system, but I support women’s rights and the funding of Planned Parenthood.”

Sam Hoyt

Senior; finance

Photo Submitted by Sam Hoyt

Economy: Carly Fiorina

“Crony capitalism is a real issue that a lot of businesses are facing.”

Foreign Policy: Marco Rubio

Immigration: Jeb Bush

Environment: Jeb Bush

“Climate change is an issue; there is no doubt about that. Part of it is the government’s responsibility to deal with it, but a lot can also be done privately.”

Social Issues: Martin O’Malley and Rand Paul

“I believe that homosexual couples should receive the same status and benefits that straight couples receive.

“There is an obvious issue with police brutality, and we need to do something to decrease the massive incarceration rates in America.”

Madeline Meyer

Senior; politics and broadcast news journalism

Photo submitted by Madeline Meyer

Economy: John Kasich

Foreign Policy: Hillary Clinton

Immigration: Martin O’Malley

“I’m all for getting the people already in America paying taxes and then getting really strict with illegal immigration after handling the issue already at hand.”

Environment: Marco Rubio

“I know people who have tried to open factories with corporations and have not been able to open those factories because it is so heavily regulated. Climate change is a real problem; I just think we need to be a lot more gradual with our approach.”

Social Issues: Martin O’Malley

Jacob Hession

Junior; philosophy and law, politics and society

Photo by Brianna Steirer

Economy: Undecided

“I want to support a candidate that can put ideology aside and work for practical, pragmatic solutions.”

Foreign Policy: Jeb Bush

Immigration: Marco Rubio

“Undocumented immigrants, whether we like it or not, help the economy, so we have to find a solution that works for everyone.”

Environment: Hillary Clinton

“I recognize that climate change is a really big deal, but we have to also recognize that there are economic realities that we must face.”

Social Issues: Hillary Clinton

Olivia O’Hea

Senior; public relations and law, politics, and society

Photo submitted by Olivia O’Hea

Economy: Bernie Sanders

Foreign Policy: Hillary Clinton

“I think she has the best resume and she understands the issues in the greatest depth and detail.”

Immigration: Martin O’Malley

“He understands the important role that immigration and immigrants play in the future of our country.”

Environment: Martin O’Malley

Social Issues: Bernie Sanders

Bri Steirer is a senior politics, rhetoric, and law politics and society triple major. She enjoys reading/writing feminist rants on social media, political satire and the Green Bay Packers. Follow her on Twitter.